The clan Donald (Volume 3) online

required iipon twentie dayes warning to that effect. And if
the said Rorie M'^Donald and his said men shall remain in
the said service longer than the said space of eight days
after ther arryval that then and in that ease they shall
be furnished and supplied with provisione and victuall upon
the said Donald jVPDonald his superiore and his foresaids
ther expemes thereafter. Attoure In case it shall hapen that any
of the friends, tennents and servants of the said Eorie M'' Donald
under his command and his foresaids possessores of the saids lands
hold of the said Donald McDonald as said is, or of any part thereof,
to comit any fault, fact, or crime whatsumever whereby the said
Donald iNPDonald or his foresaids may be cited, conveened,
troubled, or molested for the saids facts and crimes, That then and in
that case the said Rorie M'^Donald and his foresaids shall be holden
and obledgit to exhibite and delyver the s^ malefactor or comitter
of the saids deeds to tlie said Donald or his foresaids at least to
satisfy them and the parties offended, troubled, or injured of all

lesione and danniagc they shall hapen to sustaine be the saids
deeds, and to doe and performe all other things i-equisite for
satisfying of the saids wrongs within the space of fourtie days
after being lawfully premouished. And if the said Rorie ^PDonald
or his forsaids shall comit any fact or deed civil or criminal for
which the said Donald M'^Donald shall be holden to answer in law
then and in that case the said Rorie and his foresaids shall relieve
and skaithless keep the said Donald M'^Donald and his foresaids
from all damnage against all deadlie.

A.nd if the said Rorie M'^Douald and his foresaids shall failzie in
exhibitione presenting and delyvering of the said malefactor or
comitter of any cryme to be comitted or done by any kinsman,
friend, tennent, or servant of the said Rorie for quhilk the said
Donald M^^Donald or his foresaids be persewed or troubled at
Uist in giving satisfactione to the said Donald M-^Donald or to
parties offended to whom these wrongs shall be done then and in

658 THE CLAN DONALD.

that case the said Rorie M'^Donald shall be oblidgit to pay the said
Donald M'^Donald the sowme of one hundreth pounds Scots
money, &c.

And for the more security both the said parties are content
and consents that thir presents be insert and registrat in the
books of Councell and Session (fee.

In witness whereof written by ^neas McDonald Avriter in
EdinV we have sub* thir presents with our hands day place and
month and yeare fors*^ before thir witness Donald M'^Eachan in
South Uist and James McDonald servitor to the said Donald and
the said ^Eneas M'^Donald writer heirof

Donald M'^Eachak witnes. Donald M^'Donald.

James M'^Donald witnes. Rorie ^NPDonald.

J^NEAS ]\'PDonald witnes.

COMMISSIOtf BY KING JAMES IN FAVOUR OF JOHN MACDONALD
OF BORNISKITTAIG. 1689.

James R.
James the Seventh by the Grace of God King of Scotland,
England, France, and Ireland, Defender of the ffaith ifec. To our
Trusty and wellbeloved John Mackdonald of Bornscitaik. Wee
reposeing speciall trust and confidence in your Loyalty, Courage,
and good conduct, Doe by these presents constitute and appoint
you to be Captaine of a Company of Foote in the Regiment
comanded by our trusty and wellbeloved CoUouell Donald
Macdonald. You are therefore to take the said company into
your care and charge, and carefully to discharge the Duty of
Captaine thereof. By exerciseing as well the officers or soldiers in
ainnes, and to doe your uttmost endeavour to keep them in good
order and discipline. And we do hereby command them to be
obedient to you as their Captaine and you to observe and follow
such orders as you shall from tyme to tyme receive from Us, your
Collonell, or any other your superior officer according to the Rules
and Discipline of Warr, and in pursuance of the trust wee have
hereby reposed in you.

Given att our Court att Dublin Castle the 31st day of March
1689 and in the fifth yeare of our Keigne.

Wee the wadsetters tenants and possessors within tlie Barony
of Troternish undersubscribers doe attest and deliver y* in regard
of our extream poverty occasioned by ane luuisuall murrain first
in anno 1746 but more especially by ane oyr in Sjiring last
whereby great numbers of our bestiall perished to the number of
four hundred and eighty five horses, one thousand and twenty
seven cows, together with four thousand five hundred and fifty six
sheep. The Honourable William IVPLeod of Hanmiir Factor upon
the said Barony did to nrevent much of the lands being weist and for
the relief of seall exigent families ease and diminish to the value
of one hundi'ed and ten pounds sterling the tenants and possessors
w* in the said Baronj' of their rents, farmes, and causaltics, in
proportion to their losses and moreover wee doe dec! air that by
reasone of the penury of the people some of the lands are still
west which in all appearance will remain so, tliere being no
prospect of additionall tenants from the adjacnt countries and
the inhabitants y^^^selvcs being already so [ enurious they
will ray*' impare then take on more lands in succeeding years and
if need bees Wee are willing to make ane atfidavitt of the premisses.

In testimonjr y'' of Wee have sub* thir puts at Renedray the
third day of vSeptember Jaivic and Twentie one years

Don. M'^Donald of Sarthill. Alexander M'^Donald of Glennjore.

James M'^Donald of Lackisay. James M'^^Dunald of Cuidrach.
Donald Nicolson in Cullnaknock. KuLrene M'^^Donald Younger of

James MackDonald in Rigg.
J. Martin in Flodigary.
John IVPDonald in Waitos.

Mur. Nicolson at Achichork.
John M'^Donald in Libost
John Nicolson in Scoudiborrow.
Hector IVPLean in Gerich.
Angus M'^Queen in Toatrome.
Margaret M^'Donald in Mugstot.
John MackDonald in (Jrealiiie.
Arch: MacKqueen Minister at
Snizorf.

664 THE CLAN DONALD.

ATTESTATION BY THE GENTLEMEN OF NORTH UIST. 172L

We the wadsetters, tacksmen, and possessors undersubscrivers
attest and deliver, — That in regarde of the extreme poverty
reigning amongst the haill tenuants and possessors within the
Barony of North Uist occasioned by a murain in our cattle first
in anno 1717 but more especially this year by a second murrain
whereby a great many of our cattle have perished to the number
of seven hundred and fourtie five cows, five hundred and seventy
three horse, eight hundred and twentie sheep. According to the
list taken up of the same by the Honourable William Macleod of
Hemmir, the said Mr M^Leod to jDrevcut the utter ruin of the
people, and in order to keep the lands as much as possible in sett
hase eased the tennants in proportion to their losses both in this
and last years — sett to the value of seventie jjounds ten shillings
sterling money which he wants of the farme payable be the said
temiants were it served to the hight — a thing the circumstances
of the people could bear oyrways the must of the lands should
have been west, and many souls by all appearance famies'd for
want of subsistence. And moreover we attest and deliver that
about Caudleijjass last the sea overflowed severall parts ol the
countrie breaking down many houses to the hazard of some lives
which hase impaired the lands to such ?i degree as its possible it
may happen more and more that they cannot answer to the worst
sett in former times. In testimony cf uf we liave subscrived thir
pnts with our hands a Kilmure the day of

TESTLMONIaL by the PRESBYTERY OF UIST IN FAVOUR OF
ALEXANDER MACDONALD OF BOISDALE. 1746.

Kilbride, 29th September, 1746.
We the uiinisters and elders of the Presbytery of Uist being
credibly informed that Mr Macdonald of Eoistal, who was taken

APPENDICES. 665

up by one of his Majesty's ships of war, is carried to London upon
suspicion of disloyalty do form a sincere desire to rightly inform
the officers of the law to do justice to that gentleman's character,
and from our firm peruasidn of his steady adlierence to the
interest of his country find ourselves obliged to declare that we
know cf his coniuct during the late unnatural rebellion. We cannot
be justly suspected of any design to impede tlie course of justice
or screen his Majesty's enemies as we have on all occasions even
to our great hazard manifested a firui and zealous attachment to
his majesty's person and government for which we cannot claim
any merit since the security of ail that is dear and valuable to us
in the world is so closely interwoven with the stability of his
throne. Besides, we are h timately acquainted with this gentle-
man's sentiments for some years past, and had access to encpiire
particularly into his behaviour since the commencement of this
wicked insurrection. Therefore, as lie is now i-emoved at a great
distance from the proper evidence of his exculpation we owe to
him injustice to declare to the world —

That he ever possessed a sincere regard to the true interest
of these nations and a firm persuasion that the happiness of them
could only be preserved by the siipport of our present establish-
ment, and in consequence of these professions we found bun always
ready and forward to act in his station as a dutiful subject and a
true lover of his country. He never failed to exert himself to the
utmoit of his power to serve the friends of the government and
sup})ort the Protestant interest in this corner besides his constant
byas to the side of liberty, iiis known aversion to slavery and
arbitrary power of any kind. He was too much the friend of
mankind to disturb the peace of any society. It was always a
fundamental article of his creed that peace in the state and charity
in religion were too much the essence of both to bo broken on any
pretence whatsomever.

As for his behaviour during the continuance of the late
troubles we can likewise declare that he gave all p®ssible dis-
couragement to the Pretender's adherents ; he was neither allured
by promises nor overawed by threatenings to rise ia arms ; he
dissuaded all with whom he could have anything to say from
joining in that wicked and desperate attempt particularly in
August 1745 when the Pretender's son and young Clanranald,
Boistel's nephew, sent William Moyes from Aberlour who had been
taken by Anthony Welsh Captain of the French Privateer with
about 2 or 300 bolls of meal to be distributed among the people

Q66 THE CLAN DONALD.

ol South Uist to eutice theoi to rise in arms against the govern-
ment, he did on tliat occasion all that could be expected of any
private subject, lie hindered the South Uist men much against
the inclinations of many of them from receiving the meal, he
forced away the shi]j from the lebel guard sent with ir, he
allowed the master to go home with his cargo, provided him
with money nnd whatever else he wanted, sent a pilot
with him and gave a certificate of his usage by the rebels, of all
this Mr Moyes is still a living witness. Again, Avlien Captain
Macdonald, a rebel officer, and several others came to him from
the Pretender he insulted tbe-.i, laughed at their project, and dis-
couraged everybody from going with them though the Pretender
and his adherents frequently threatened by word and writing that
at anyrate he should fall a sacrifice to their resentment Yet it
is well known that by his endeavours the country ]ieoplc there
were kept at home though numbers of them inclined to join the
rebels. Nay, he expr'jssly threatened to beat some who were
offering to go.

When the Spanish ship came witli money and arms to the
neighbouring country, ho did all he possibly could to hinder the
inhabitants of South Uist and Barra from meddling that way, and
it was in a great measure owing to his influence that they con-
tinued peacably at home. T^ast March when siome mad people in
the country of South Uist gathered together some vagabonds to
march with them to the Pretender's camp he endeavoured to stop
their career, he bantered their ringleader and wrote to his brother
who was then in Harris that he should return and use his authority
to disperse them, which was accordingly done. So sensible were
the rebels of his aversion to their cause, and so incensed at the
hurt he had done them, that in revenge those that came on board
the French ships which came lately in quest of the Young Pr-e-
tender killed some of his cattle and threatened to destroy more of
his eflfects if the Independent Companies stationed here at that
time had not prevented them. Several other facts too tedious to
be mentioned might be likewise declared, but from the above
instances of his behaviour and his known character we are per-
suaded he will be found to have acted the part of a loyal subject.
And we aver nothing of him but what may be clearly proved by
unquestionable evidences. Signed in name, presence, and by
appointment of the Presbytery of Uist by

Donald M^'Leod, Moderator.
Jo : M'^AuLAY, Clerk.

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